Photo Courtesy of QU Athletics
By Jordan Siegler
Former Quinnipiac women’s basketball star Brittany McQuain announced Monday morning that she will play professional basketball for DJK Brose Bamberg in Germany. McQuain made the announcement via a post on her personal Facebook page:
On how she got the contract offer, McQuain said “Basically, they were the first team to offer me a contract. This process is a lot different than college. When someone offers you a contract, you have to decide within a few days or they take their offer off of the table. My main goal was to get somewhere, so when I got the opportunity, I didn’t wait around for another offer.”
But the process is much more than that. It can very difficult and stressful. McQuain said that she was contacted by another team first, but they did not offer her a contract. She says, “I won’t lie, dealing with everything and being rejected by the first team to contact me is not fun, but it is definitely worth it. If I would have given up after being rejected or not hearing from my agent about any new teams for weeks, I wouldn’t be heading to Germany in a month. Perseverance is the biggest thing when going through the process because it’s not easy.”
McQuain also said that she received another contract offer from a different team the morning she was supposed to sign with Bamberg. But she decided to still sign with Bamberg for a reason you may not expect. It was not for basketball reasons, it was the opportunity to teach.
“Bamberg offers something that no other team did, and that is working with and coaching a youth team while I am there. I think that is a fantastic opportunity. I love kids and I love teaching,” said McQuain.
She also was drawn to Bamberg by the fan base. “Also, Bamberg is in a city, a ‘basketball’ city, so its fans are very loyal and love watching the games,” McQuain said.
Quinnipiac women’s basketball head coach Tricia Fabbri commented on McQuain’s signing saying “Our coaching staff is so excited for and proud of Brittany! This is exactly what she wanted to do upon graduation from Quinnipiac – continue her playing career overseas. I believe this will be the first of many contracts she will sign during her playing career.”
McQuain was a key piece to a Bobcats team that went undefeated in NEC conference on route to an NEC Championship in 2013. She was named the MVP of the NEC Tournament that year. This past season, McQuain helped lead the Bobcats through their first year in the MAAC. However, the team came up just short of winning the conference, losing to Marist in the MAAC championship game. McQuain, along with teammate Jasmine Martin, was named to the All-MAAC second team.
McQuain finished her career as one of the most decorated players in Quinnipiac women’s basketball history. In her four-year career, she surpasses both the 1,000 point and rebound mark with totals of 1,456 and 1,116, respectively. Those number along with her 111 career blocks makes McQuain the third player in school history and the first player in the school’s Division 1 history to total 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 100 blocks.
McQuain now looks to bring her winning attitude to Bamberg. She says “I’m looking forward to winning. I think that winning a championship at Quinnipiac has really stuck with me and I know what it feels like. Bamberg has the opportunity to move back up to D1, and I want to help them do this. Winning is my goal, its all I think about.”
Bamberg was moved down from the 1st Bundesliga to the 2nd Bundesliga following last season. McQuain will join the team in a month as they prepare for the upcoming season.
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